Morris tribune., 1887-01-12
AMERICAN FIGURES.
WHAT A NOTED SCULPTOR SAYS
CONCERNING MALE MODELS.

The Occupation OF Model Too Passive to
he Attractive 90 Natiyes-Great Change
for the Better In the American Ply
sique.
A famous American sculptor adver-
tised, @ few days ago, for u male model.
OF course, II he had wanted a female
model he would not have had to take
that trouble, for female models are SO
abundant that 1t is scarcely hyperbolical
to say "the woods are full of them" But
are there no professional male models?
"Oh, yes," the sculptor said, there are
twelve or fifteen of them in New York.
I know them all, and if there happens to
be one among them who is exactly what
want when have statue to model,
of course engage him. But my experience
has been that must go into fresh fields
to find what want. So advertise, and
it is astonishing what a number of men
offer themselves in response, men of fine
figures, Of various types. OF course,
am looking for particular type, not
simply for fine figure, and, conse-
quently, have to go over II large field
sometimes before find just the one who
meets my requirements. American
men have as fine figures as American
women, but it is seldom that they will
accept of the profession of model. 1t
is too passive an occupation, and its
gains are too small for it to be attractive
to them. So am most likely to have to
find my men among the Irish or Germans,
who are, in my opinion, the best models.
Out of great number who came in an
swer to my advertisement the other
day, selected two, neither of whom had
ever served as o model before. One is Of
Scotch descent, the other German. One
of them has, believe. no other occupa-
ton, and the other is in a business that
will not be likely to take much Of his
time in the winter months. The majority
Of the professional male models are Ger
man or Irish, though there are two or
three Frenchmcn or Italians among
them, who are rather open to the suspi-
cion of being played out models from tho
other side.
FOR PAINTERS AND SCULPTORS.
"The same models, of course, serve for
both painters and sculptors. The former
require them for shorter time than the
sculptors do, and so customar1ly engage
them by the hour, paying them so or IS
cents per hour. The sculptors engage for
longer time and pay lower rates. pay
my men $12 week each, but then en-
ploy them during six months or o year.
In that time there are occasionally weeks
in which am out of town, or not work
ing, when the model does not even have
to put in IN appearance, but his salary
goes right along all the same. 1t is just
that it should, for it Is not his fault that
am not at work.
1.-THE hours of work are long, but the
toll, for the model, is ma lie as easy as
possible. am an early riser and hard
worker. I,begin at s o'clock, and work,
as a rule, until 5. During an that time
the model is supposed to be with me.
The duration of his maintenance Of
pose is from half an hour to an hour,
according to its difficulty and the strain
it is upon him. Then he has a good rest,
as long as may be necessary Fifteen
minutes to half an hour is generally
sufficient. The posing is all done nude,
or nearly all, for even though it may be
purposed to clothe the figure In modern
gnrb, in the statue the modelling Of the |
figure nude is primary necessity to have
its proportions accurate. There is great
deal Of difference among models in the
matter of posing Some, whose figures
meet all the requirements, are quite use
less, either because of nervousness or
laziness, while others have the will force |
to hold IN attitude unswervingly as long
as may be necessary, even in very diff |
cult positions.
INTELLIGENT AND sELF-REsPECTING.
81 have never had b-a-a-a-d man ap-
ply for an engagement as model. Those
who offer their services are all clearly in
teligent, self-respecting men. No, do
not, as rule, look for men who have by |
training and exercise given an abnormal
development to their muscles. The |
natural development is what / require |
The extreme gymnastic development goes |
beyond the artistic. 1t Is true that some
of the finest figures / have known be-
longed to good athletes, but they were |
too high priced. Too high a muscular |
development is likely to result in pro- |
ducing merely an interesting anatomical
study, not artistic perfection of beauty. |
The athletic development of the Greeks |
and Romans, if we may judge by their
statues, did not produce such develop |
ment as we see among our trained muscu |
lar Christians of to-day.
eyes, I think that there is fineness |
about the American figure, both male
and female, that is not equaled in any
other people in the world. I mean that |
in them. There has been great change |
for the better in the American physique |
in the last twenty-five or thirty years. |
That long ago 1t seemed to be the fashion |
among American mothers to have pale |
and delicate children possibly because |
they thought they looked aristocratic |
that way; but how they feed their chill |
dren better, with bone and muscle MAX
ing food, and the little, ones seem a
different race Of beings. Go to our schools |
and colleges to-day and you will find |
them filed with strong, vigorous,
healthy, active, clean limbed youngsters. |
Look at the young men and women on
our streets, and see what tall, fine figures
they have. / tell you they are simply
splendid. And we have to thank for 1t |
the reform in our habits Of eating and |
outdoor exercise in the highest degree.
The English figure is large and robust,
but heavier, with coarser lines, and win |
not compare favorably with the Ameri-
can. have no use for English models.
New York Sun.
Concerning the Habit OF Smoking.
Several reasons have been assigned for |